In wireless communication devices, especially two-way radios and telephones, the devices must have some type of a power supply. A typical power supply for such devices is a removable battery package. Most battery packages have latching systems to facilitate removing the battery packages from the communications device. Existing latching systems incorporate a finger push latch offset from an engagement member at a specific distance. Engagement occurs when the user slides the battery package on the radio. During sliding an attachment member is twisted by the latch internally interfering with the radio receiving means and when the final position is reached, the latch engages into the radio receiving means. Disengagement is produced when a user pushes on the latch, putting the attachment member in torsion, which rotates the engagement feature up out of the radio receiving means at which point the user slides the battery package off the radio.
The force applied by the user to disengage this latch causes a deflection in the battery housings of light weight battery packages. This deflection in the direction of the force causes the latch to engage more and makes it harder to disengage the latch. As battery housings get thinner, which is currently proposed for future products, this problem will be extreme.
Problems also occur in existing latches because of the weak attachment member. When the radio and battery are subject to a large enough force the battery should detach without breaking the latch, instead what occurs with existing latches is that they engage more and the attachment member is broken because the latch did not release. Thus, there exists a need for an improved latch mechanism for thin light weight battery packages.